Libya confirms death of Gaddafi son

Published October 21st, 2012 - 10:53 GMT

The youngest son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Khamis, was killed Saturday in fighting with government forces in the town of Bani Walid.

The youngest son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Khamis, was killed Saturday in fighting with government forces in the town of Bani Walid. Meanwhile, conflicting reports have surfaced about the arrest of Moussa Ibrahim, former spokesman for the Libyan leader.

Khamis Gaddafi, whose death was announced several times by fighters of the Transitional National Council (TNC), was killed Saturday in clashes in the city of Bani Walid, 170 km southwest of Tripoli, confirmed Omar Hamidan the spokesman of the National Congress of Libya, adding that the body of Khamis was sent to Misrata.

Born in 1983, Khamis Gaddafi was the seventh and youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi. As an officer, he led one of the brigades loyal to the former Libyan leader, known as the Khamis Brigade. The announcement of his death coincided with the first anniversary of the death of his father, who was killed on October 20 near his hometown of Sirte.

Confusion over the fate of Moussa Ibrahim

Moreover, it was reported on Saturday that the former spokesman of Gaddafi, Moussa Ibrahim, one of the most wanted men in Libya, was arrested. The Prime Minister's Office stated that Moussa Ibrahim was captured by forces of the transitional government in the city of Tarbouna, between Bani Walid and the capital Tripoli. He was to be transferred to Tripoli for interrogation.

However, a few hours later, the government spokesman Nasser al-Manaa has corrected this report saying that the authorities had "no official information on the arrest of any member of the former regime. "

Moreover, in an audio recording published on the internet and whose authenticity could not be verified, a man claiming to be Moussa Ibrahim denied his arrest, saying he is not even in Libya. The tape also paid tribute to Muammar Gaddafi on the occasion of the first anniversary of his death.

Bani Walid, a former stronghold of Gaddafi, was besieged for several days by government forces that require the handover of certain persons accused of abducting and torturing Omran Shaban, who had participated in the capture of Gaddafi last year. Clashes between government forces and armed groups have killed at least 26 people and injured more than 2,000.